5 ideas for healthier Thanksgiving side dishes

Thanksgiving is a holiday to spend time with your friends and family, and share appreciate for all you have—and to indulge in classic dishes like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pie. While these foods are delicious, they aren’t the most nutritious.

Obesity is linked to at least 13 types of cancer, including Brust, colorectal Und Leber, so adding some healthier side dishes to your Thanksgiving meal is one way to help your family stay ahead of cancer and celebrate holidays together for many years to come.

It’s all about moderation, so while there’s no need to cut out all your favorite dishes, here are five ways to incorporate healthier sides into your Thanksgiving meal this year.

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Serve a hearty salad

A salad is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table! Make it a hearty one filled with seasonal fruits

and vegetables to really pack in the nutritional value and flavor. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is one way to reduce your risk of cancer. Try this brussels sprouts, apple and pomegranate salad, which can be made ahead of time and doesn’t require the stove or oven other than toasting the walnuts.

Swap out canned cranberry sauce for fresh cranberry relish

If you’re used to cranberry sauce poured directly from the can, switch it up this year and try a fresh cranberry relish. It’s easy to customize to your flavor preferences, and you can keep the added sugar to a minimum.

Add vegetables to your cornbread

Another way to add some vegetables to your meal is by adding it to your cornbread. Try this vegetable cornbread with okra and corn or a zucchini cornbread.

Mix up the macaroni and cheese

If mac and cheese is essential for your family’s gathering, use whole wheat or whole grain pasta or experiment with a lightened version like a cauliflower mac and cheese, or protein-packed cottage cheese mac and cheese.

Serve fruit with dessert

Chances are most people aren’t going to pass up dessert on Thanksgiving, but consider serving a bowl of fresh mixed fruit along with the pies and cakes.

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Eating a healthier Thanksgiving meal is just one way you can bring cancer prevention and early detection to your family gathering this year. You can also use this time to talk about your family health history or up your physical activity by taking a post-meal family walk or throwing around a football.

For more tips and ways to reduce your risk of cancer, visit preventcancer.org/ways-to-prevent.